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Diff Between Sulzer and B&W Crosshead Lubrication

The key difference between the crosshead lubrication systems of Sulzer and MAN B&W engines is how they ensure adequate cooling of the loaded lower crosshead bearing surface. Sulzer engines require a separate high pressure pump to inject lubricating oil between the crosshead pin and plain lower bearing surface. In contrast, MAN B&W engines have machined channels in the lower crosshead bearing surface that allow circulating oil to flush the entire loaded bearing surface area twice per cycle at the much lower pressure supplied by the main lubricating pump. This eliminates the need for a separate high pressure pump.

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Vijay A
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2K views

Diff Between Sulzer and B&W Crosshead Lubrication

The key difference between the crosshead lubrication systems of Sulzer and MAN B&W engines is how they ensure adequate cooling of the loaded lower crosshead bearing surface. Sulzer engines require a separate high pressure pump to inject lubricating oil between the crosshead pin and plain lower bearing surface. In contrast, MAN B&W engines have machined channels in the lower crosshead bearing surface that allow circulating oil to flush the entire loaded bearing surface area twice per cycle at the much lower pressure supplied by the main lubricating pump. This eliminates the need for a separate high pressure pump.

Uploaded by

Vijay A
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Question:

In Sulzer engines, there is a separate crosshead lubricating oil pump delivering


oil at 12 to 16 bar for crosshead lubrication.
MAN+B&W uses the same pump to supply oil to main bearings as well as
crosshead at a much reduced pressure (around 3 to 5 bar).
Both engines run satisfactorily without any crosshead problems and certainly
MAN+B&W arrangement is more simple.
The question is what is the difference from design aspect of the crosshead
lubrication arrangements in the two engines that make it necessary to have a
separate high pressure pump in one make of engine, while the other one does
not need such pump?
Answer:
"More than 90% of the circulated oil has the sole purpose of cooling the
bearings. If you study antique machines with open crankcases, you will see tha
Crosshead bearing
the amount of oil for lubrication is a few drops per minute. This is enough formaintaining the
oil film in the bearing and with an open crankcase the frictionheat is removed by air-cooling.
Modern engines have closed crankcaes and amuch higher bearing load - hence the need for
oil cooling.
In a main bearing, the oil is pumped into the upper shell and it will cool theupper part of the
journal. Since the shaft is rotating, it is cooled on all sidesand because the oil film thickness is
very small in the loaded part, the shaftwill cool the loaded bearing half as well.
A crosshead bearing is only oscillating and the lower shell is always loaded. The
cooling oil must be injected between shaft (crosshead pin) and lower bearing.
In MAN B&W engines, we have machined a set of channels in the lower
crosshead bearing, in which the cooling oil can pass. The geometry is designed
in such a way that all the loaded square centimeters of the pin are flushed with
cooling oil twice, every engine cycle.
In contrast, the Sulzer croshead has a plain lower bearing without channels. Inorder to inject
oil between pin and bearing, they have to supply oil at a muchhigher pressure. The injection
will take place at around 20 degrees crank anglebefore TDC, where the cylinder pressure is
still low and upward inertia forceson piston is still high. There is a short interval, in which the
bearing pressure islower than the oil pressure"

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